Locomotive-truck.



No.e2a,491. I R PATENTEDJUNE.12,1906.

' W. DALTON.

LOGOMOTIVE TRUCK.

APPLIUATION FILED 'AUG. 29, 1905.

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' My invention while more particularly olennrrnn STATES PATENT orrron.

WILLIAM DALTON, on .SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, :Assrenon To AMERICAN LOCOMOTIVE .(JOMPANY, on NEW YORK, N. v, .A CORPORATION or NEW YORK.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12, 1906.

Applicationfiled.AiignstZQ, 1 905. Serial N01 276.220.

and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Locomotive-Trucks, of which-improvement the following is a specification.

signed for application in theleading-trucks of electric locomotives is likewise applicable without change of structural or operative principle in steam-locomotive trucks; and its object is to provide means whereby the truck maybe allowed the lateral motion which is proper and necessary to enable the locomo: tive to pass freely around-curves and quick side motion or nosing when traversing straight portions or tangents of the track shall be effectually prevented.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.

. It has been developed .in practice that while the conditions of speed, weight, and wheel-base in electric locomotives may not difier materially from those which obtain in steam-operated machines the difference in the distribution of weight is such that truck constructions which had proven entirely satisfactory in the latter failed to doso in the former. Inthe-electric locomotive the center of gravity is ordinarily. only about one-half as high as in the steam-locomotive, and the weight of the machine is concentrated at its middle portion instead of being distributed Over the same and the end portions as in steam-locomotives, It is further the fact that the close coupling of the tender to a steam-locomotive tends to steady its motion. As a result of these differences it was found that trucks ofa construction which had-operated equally well both on curves and tangents when used in steam-locomotives performed satisfactorily ,in electric locomotives so far as passing curves was-concerned, but had a pronounced nosing or quick side motion on straight track, which caused the flanges of the leading driving-wheels to bring up objectionably against the railsland tend to s read the latter, as well asto unduly wear the anges. My invention isparticularly designed to overcome .this objection, whichend 'itattains by the provision of a construction in which resistances tolateral motion which act in concurrence in onedirect'ion and in op position in the other are exerted by the means and in the manner hereinafter described. a

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view, in elevation, of .a 'locomotivetruck embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal central section through the same; Fig. .3, a plan or top view, .artlyin section; Fig. 4, -a transverse centr 'l section, and Fig. .5 a horizontal section through one of the axle-boxes and the adjacent wheel.

In the practice .of my invention the frame 5' of the truck is preferably, .as shown, formed of a unitarysteel casting comprising two parallel transverse .side members connected at top by a horizontal top-member and having edestals .5 at their ends, in which the axleoXes 8 are fitted with the capacity of relative vertical movement, .as in the ordinary constructions. The truck-wheels 4 are fixed upon an axle 2, the journals of which rotate in bearings 3" in the axle-boxes, upon which the truck-frame is supported through the intermediation of springs 9, the lower ends of which are inclosed in recesses or spring-cases at the ends of the top member of the truckframe. inside flanges, and their sides abut against angular steel facing-plates 5 secured to the pedestal-j aws and serving .to protect the latter from Wear in service. The frame can thus be readily finished by planing the inner faces of the pedestal-jaws and planing across their outer ends The main frame 1 of the locomotive is supported upo n the truck-frame 5 in such manner as to admit of the :desired and de'ter mined degree of relative lateral movement, there'being in the instance shown an upper .center casting 8, the upper portion of which fits in a socket 8 secured to the main frame 1 ,and the'lower end of'w'hichflts 'in-and abuts on a lower center casting .7 which'rests on a frictional bearing-face on the top of the truck frame. The frictional bearing-face is preferably, asshown, formed upon the top of a friction-plate 6, secured detachably on the top of the truck-frame, which, the con- The axle-boxes .3 are made without nected friction-plate, has the capacity of lateral motion re atively to the lower center casting 7 and the main frame 1 of the locomotive, with which the latter is connected through the upper center casting and its socket, as above described. In order to enable the abutting faces of the lower center casting and the friction-plate to be effectively lubricated, an oil chamber 5 is formed in the top of the truck-frame, said chamber surrounding and extending above the abutting faces, so that they may be maintained continuously submerged in oil to prevent the undue resistance to lateral motion which would result if they were permitted to run dry. Cover-plates 5", secured to the truckframe, project partly over the oil-chamber and are overlapped by a cover-plate 7, secured to the lower center casting for the purpose of preventing the access of dust or other foreign matter to the oil-chamber.

In order to return the truck-frame to its normal position in line longitudinally of the locomotive after it has been diverted therefrom in passing a curve, a transverse centering-spring 10 is fitted in an abutment-case 1 1, which is closed at one end by a removable head 12 and is secured centrally to a support 1 fixed to the main frame 1 of the locomotive. The spring 10 abuts at its ends against followers 13, which in turn abut against the heads of the case 11. Thrust members in the form of rods 14 abut at their inner ends on spherical-faced bearings on the followers 13, and their outer ends fit in and abut against spherical sockets 15, fixed to the ends of the truck-frame 5.

It will be seen that under the construction above described the relative lateral movement of the truck-frame and the main frame of the locomotive in passing from a tangent to a curve is opposed by the aggregate of the resistance of the tension of the centeringspring 10 (as, say, three thousand pounds) and of the resistance to movement of the abutting faces of the friction-plate 6 and lower center casting 7, (as, say, two thousand pounds,) being a total of five thousand pounds. In passing from a curve to a tanent the force acting to return the truckframe to normal position centrally with the main frame is, however, the energy stored in the spring (three thousand pounds) less the opposing resistance of the abutting frictional surfaces, (two thousand pounds,) being a total of only one thousand pounds exerting centering action. As a result of this diminution of centering action while retaining the desired maximum resistance to lateral movement in passing from a tangent to a curve, the locomotive will instead of having a vibrating or nosing action run with entire steadiness.

It will be obvious to those skilled in locomotive construction that my invention is not limited to the specific structural details of connection between the truck-frame and main frame which are herein described and shown, as it may be applied without variation of principle in trucks provided with the usual swing links or other appliances for limiting and controlling lateral motion.

The leading and characteristic feature of my invention consists in a construction in which independent spring and frictional resistances are provided and are so related as to act in conjunction in opposing the movement of the truck away from the center and in opposition relatively to the movement of the truck toward the center. Such a construction is, so far as my knowledge and information extend, novel with me, and I therefore intend my claims covering it herein to be of corresponding broad scope.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, in a locomotive, of a main frame, a truck-frame connected, with the capacity of relative lateral movement thereto, a centering-spring interposed between abutments on the main frame and on the truck-frame, respectively, and acting to resist outward lateral movement of the truckframe and effect inward lateral movement of said frame, abutting friction-faces on the main and truck frames, and an oil-chamber on the truck-frame surrounding and extending above said friction-faces whereby the same may be maintainedcontinuously submerged in a lubricant.

2. The combination, in a locomotive, of a main frame, a truck-frame connected, with the capacity of relative lateral movement, thereto, a centering-spring interposed between abutments on the main frame and on the truck-frame, respectively, and acting to resist outward lateral movement of the truckframe and effect inward lateral movement of said frame, a friction-plate fixed to the upper portion of the truck-frame, a lower center casting supported on said friction-plate, and an upper center casting fitting in the lower center casting and in a socket fixed to the main frame.

3. The combination, in a lateral-motion truck, of a truck-frame formed of an integral casting comprising two transverse members connected by a horizontal top member and having pedestal-j aws on their ends, a frictionplate fixed on the top member, and an oilchamber on the top member surrounding and extending above the friction-plate.

4. The combination, in a lateral-motion truck, of a truck-frame comprising two transverse members connected by a top member, and axle-boxes interposed between the pedestal-jaws and having flanges on their outer ends and plane inner ends.

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5. The combination, in a lateral-motion between the same and the sides and flanges truck, of a truck-frame comprising two transof the axle-boxes. verse members connected by a top member, axle-boxes interposed between the pedestal- 5 j aws and having flanges on their outer ends Witnesses:

and plane inner ends, and angular facing-- WM. YORKSTON, plates fixed to the pedestal-jaws, and fitting O. O. MYERS.

WILLIAM DALTON. 

